Autonomous vehicles, such as vehicles which do not require a human driver, may be used to aid in the transport of passengers or items from one location to another. An important component of an autonomous vehicle is the perception system, which allows the vehicle to perceive and interpret its surroundings using cameras, radar, sensors, and other similar devices. The perception system executes numerous decisions while the autonomous vehicle is in motion, such as speeding up, slowing down, stopping, turning, etc. Autonomous vehicles may also use the cameras, sensors, and global positioning devices to gather and interpret images and sensor data about its surrounding environment, e.g., parked cars, trees, buildings, etc. These images and sensor data allow the vehicle to safely maneuver itself around various objects.
For example, the perception system may interpret an object as a bounding box. A bounding box may be a virtual, three-dimensional box that entirely encloses the object. In this regard, the perception system may spatially identify where the object is relative to the vehicle and avoid hitting the bounding box. However, maneuvering around or under complex objects, such as a tree branch overhanging a road, may be difficult using a bounding box.